Electrostatic precipitator



Feb. 20, 1951 E, 1 RICHARDSON 2,542,262

ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1947 Patented F eb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR Earl L. Richardson, Hyde Park, Mass., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Bittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 30, 1947, Serial No. 771,556

(Cl. 183-f7) 4 Claims.

invention relates to electrostatic precipitators for the removal of foreign particles such as dust, from gases such as air.

i successful electrostatic precipitator for the removal of dust from air, is or the type disclosed in the G, W. Penney lfatent No. 2,129,783 in which, ionizing chambers in which the dust particles are electrostatically charged, are followed by collector chambers in which the charged dust particles are attracted to, and deposited upon, oppositely charged collector plates.

This invention provides a collector cell for the collector chamber oi such an electrostatic precipitator, which is a self-contained unit with the grounded collector plates supported from structural end plates, and with the insulated collector plates supported from the supports for the grounded ones. A number of such cells can be used for providing any desired size of collector chamber, and are easily removable and replaceable for cleaning and servicing.

Features of the invention are that the collector cell can be manufactured at less cost than prior cells, and that the collector plates or the cell are maintained tightly in contact with their supports for providing good electric contact therewith, and uniform spacing between the plates.

Another feature of the invention is that the collector plates are wedged against bars which are enclosed in attened, rounded side tubes which offer less resistance to the flow of gas to be cleaned, and which are more easily cleaned, than the channel type spacers used in the past.

AOne object of the invention is to reduce the cost of collector cells for electrostatic precipitators.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collector cell for an electrostatic precipitator in `which the collector electrodes are tightly secured to their supports for providing the proper spacing and good electric contact.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a collector cell embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged 'fractional view illustrating one of the end plates, one of the insulated collector plates, and the supports for the insulated Aand grounded collector plates;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a portion of one of the grounded collector plates instead of an insulated collector plate;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fractional, projected view illustrating one of the supports for the grounded collector plates;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation with a portion of one of the end plates removed, of the cell;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fractional View illustrating how the collector plates are held in their supporting bars, and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fractional view of one of the collectol` plates, and illustrates one of the rectangular openings therein for the reception of a supporting bar, and one of the spring tabs formed therein for gripping the supporting bar.

The flattened tubes Il] have semi-circular upstream and downstream sides, and enclose the bars I I and I2, each of which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, is square. The upstream and two downstream tubes Ill are used, the direction of gas iiow being indicated` by the arrows of Fig. 5. l

The bars II are placed in the tubes `IIl and are brazed or spot welded thereto. The ends of the bars ll have the tapped openings I3 therein in which are threaded the machine screws is which bolt the bars I I to the end plates l5.

The bars II and I 2, and the tubes I0 support the grounded collector plates I 6 from the end plates I5. The downstream tubes I t have the spaced transverse slots Il in their upstream sides, the upstream tubes Ip having similar transverse slots Il in their downstream sides. The plates I5 have the rectangular openings I3 formed therein, the sides I9 of the openingshaving widths slightly greater than the width of the bar I2 which passes therethrough, and the sides 2i) of the openings I8 having widths slightly less than that of its associated bar i2, The plates are slitted at 2| and 22 to form the spring tabs 2.3, the inner edges of which form sides I3 of the openings I8.

In assembling the plates I6 to one of the downstream bars I2, the downstream `ends of the plates are placed in the slots I'I and `the bar `I2 is then forced through the openings I18 in the` plates, the tabs 23 bending outwardly as illustrated by Fig. 6, and pressing tightly against the bars I2. thereby providing good electrical and mechanical contact between the plates and the bars. The edges of the bars I2 opposite the tabs 23 are forced tightly against the inner surfaces of the upstream sides of the tubes l0 thus providing good contact between the bars I2 and the tubes l0.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the attachment of a bar I2 in a downstream tube I ll to a plurality of plates I6.

The upstream tubes Ill are similar to the downstream ones except that the bars II are adjacent the upstream sides, and the bars I2 are adjacent the downstream sides of the upstream tubes, and the slots II are formed in the downstream sides of the upstream tubes. The grounded collector plates I6 have openings I8 adjacent their upstream ends for receiving the tubes I0, and are assembled to the upstream bars I2 as described in the foregoing in connection with the downstream bars. Y

The tubes 25 which are similar to the tubes I0 except that they have less lengths so that they terminate short of the end plates I5, are supported by the tubular insulators 26 from the tubes I0. The tubes 25 contain bars I2 similar to the bars I2 in the tubes I0', and contain supporting bars I I similar to the bars I I in the tubes I Il, but which however do not have the tapped against bars I2 in the tubes 25 as described in' the foregoing in connection with the grounded collector plates I6 andl the corresponding bars I2 in the tubes Ill. The upstream tubes 25 have the bars I2 adjacent their downstream sides, and

, have the supporting bars I I adjacent their upstream sides, and have the slots I'I in their downstream sides. The downstream bars 25 have the bars I2 adjacent their upstream sides, and have the supporting bars I l adjacent their clownstream sides, and have the slots I'I in their upstream sides. The plates 21 have the clearance openings 28 through 'which the tubes I0 pass, and the plates l5 have the corresponding clearance openings 29 through which the tubes 25 pass, the clearance openings providing air insulation around the tubes.

The end plates I5 which yare connected mechanically and electrically to the tubes I0 and through same to the grounded collector plates I6, are adapted to :be connected to the negative terminal of a suitable high voltage, direct current supply source. The tubes 25 and the insulated collector plates I6 which they support, are adapted to be connected to a positive terminal of the supply source which may be a +6,000 volt terminal. The insulators 26 and the clearance openings 28 and 29 are designed to provide adequate insulation between the two sets of collector plates and their supports.

The flattened, grounded tubes I0 and 2,5 which enclose the collector plate supports, not only oler less resistance to gas ilow through the collector cell than the channel members formerly used, but are more easily cleanedr when the collector plates are washed down with a liquid.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus and arrangement of apparatus illustrated, as modications thereof may be suggested by those skilled in the art, Without departure from the essence of the invention.

' What is claimed is:

1. A collector cell for an electrostatic precipitator comprising end plates, supporting bars interconnecting said end plates, a plurality oi collector plates between said end plates, said collector plates having openings therein and having spring tabs formed therein with ends forming sides of the openings, wedgingrbars in said openings in Contact with said tabs, and tubes, around said supporting and wedging bars, said tubes having transverse slots therein into which said collector plates extend.

2. A collector cell for an electrostatic precipitator comprising end plates, supporting bars interconnecting said end plates, a plurality of collector plates between said end plates, alternate of said collector plates having openings therein, wedding bars in said openings in contact with said alternate plates, tubes around said supporting and wedging bars, said tubes having transverse slots into which said alternate plates extend, the other Acollector plates having openings therein, other wedging bars in the openings in said other plates, in contact with said other plates, other tubes enclosing said lother wedging bars, said other tubes having transverse slots therein into which said other plates extend, and insulators supporting said other tubes from said first mentioned tubes, said alternate platesl having clearance openings around said other tubes, and said other plates having clearance openings around said first mentioned tubes.

3. A collector cell as claimed in claim 2 in which the collector plates have spring tabs formed therein, the ends of which form sides ofY the openings around the wedging bars, said ends contacting said spacer vbars.

4. A collector cell for an electrostatic precipi REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,466 Moller Nov. 2, 1920 1,697,316 Y Horny Jan. 1, 1929 

